I was raised in the South and that means that there are a few phrases that fall from my lips that reveal my true roots. My husband, born and raised in Boston, will express his perplexed amazement when I occasionally let go a rich and delicious saying such as the following: “Honey! I’m fixin’ to go to the grocery store. Is there anything else we need besides onions and peppers?”
Response: “What did you just say? You’re going to do what to the grocery store?..”
Any good Southerner knows what it means… Here I am, standing on the precipice of action, but have not yet fully engaged. I’m “fixin’ to”.
How often in our lives have we been “fixin’ to” accomplish any given task or fulfill a perfectly good intention only to never quite find ourselves “in action”? What is the magic potion that fills the space between “fixin’ to” and “doing”?
How do we overcome the inertia of inaction?
One small step. Followed by another.
It is the perfect metaphor for starting any exercise program. It’s not like we don’t know the benefits of moving the body, but so many of us spend more time “fixin’ to exercise” than taking that first small step.
I want to encourage overcoming inertia with action. Just move, in whatever form it takes for you. Move your body now.
If you still feel frozen in time… if you find yourself in a “fixin’ to” mode… do not give up. One step is all it takes. One small step.
If you feel stuck, unable to move due to pain or other physical limitations, trust that it is possible to feel better. I encourage you to explore any possibility of moving your body. Dance in your head if you want to dance. Put on music that makes you want to move and just imagine the feeling of the freedom of moving your body. You are a dancer. We are all dancers.
The space between “fixin’ to” and “doing” is filled with movement.
Take the step.
